Mine went on with a slight tap for the first time. I then took it on and off a few times by hand easily.
Everyone should heed the warning or suffer later. Easy and fairly cheap. This should be one of the first things done/ looked at!
Again thanks spud for your investigations for better solutions.
My next venture. Will be the diodes for led blinkers.

You're welcome, Samurai. Thank you for the kind words.

Your LED blinkers will work if you remove the turn signal, indicator light. However, if you want the indicator light to work, you need to install diodes, as I explained in a previous post. You can get the diodes from Radio Shack, or you can buy the wiring kit from Kuryakyn.

I installed a single layer of 1-inch shrink tubing on the left handgrip before I installed the grip heaters. The single layer of shrink tubing works well as insulation. However, I think two layers might work even better.

Spud

Or if you want to spend a little extra cash...
I got a used throttle tube(free) and an extra set of grips(not free)...Left side is just like the right side now...handlebar, throttle tube, heater, grip. Nice and toasty!

I did have to use a rubber mallet to "gently" tap the throttle tube on the left side as it has a knurled surface. Use a piece of a 2x4 placed against the throttle tube to help prevent breaking it while tapping.

Yes, but the space between the countershaft splines is not a straight ramp. The space between the countershaft splines is actually machined upwards in an arc, and terminates in a scallop.

Therefore, I always recommend the PBI/Moose Racing, XR650R C/S sprockets. I do so because I don't want people to have to expend the effort to pound and grind away at the sprockets, while receiving either negligible, or zero benefits from the exercise.

Spud

Spud,
In looking at the PBI web site they only list the XR650R sprocket for 2000-2009. My XRL is a 1997. Do I need to be year specific or will any year XRR C/S sprocket work on my older XRL?

Actually, the rear suspension can take some pretty serious air before bottoming (provided you are sub 200), but the front is woefully under sprung and damped. I think Honda wanted you to feel like the front brake was more powerful than it is

. Something's not right about yours, then. My front is as good as my back; hasn't let me down yet.
Sounds like time to yank it apart and check the components including valves, springs, and seals along with cleaning out and changing oil.
When flying up over a water bar or similar mound as someone has skillfully managed to photograph WMD doing, you need to pull up the front so you can land on the back wheel first - you don't want to land on your front wheel on any bike.

__________________
Let's ride!!! - No offense, but there've been a lot of people over time who were just as sure, yet got it wrong. - Una necedad, aunque la repitan millones de bocas, no deja de ser una necedad. - "you know that I could have me a million more friends and all I'd have to lose is my point of view" (Prine)

Originally Posted by mendoteachActually, the rear suspension can take some pretty serious air before bottoming (provided you are sub 200), but the front is woefully under sprung and damped. I think Honda wanted you to feel like the front brake was more powerful than it is

Quote:

Originally Posted by ONandOFF

. Something's not right about yours, then. My front is as good as my back; hasn't let me down yet.
Sounds like time to yank it apart and check the components including valves, springs, and seals along with cleaning out and changing oil.
When flying up over a water bar or similar mound as someone has skillfully managed to photograph WMD doing, you need to pull up the front so you can land on the back wheel first - you don't want to land on your front wheel on any bike.

+1, set up correctly the Shoia forks work well. Sounds like you have too much air gap in the forks. Or the rear spring pre load is set too high causing overloading of the front suspension.

Does somebody know a good, fairly low profile, LED blinker? I ordered some cheap ones from ebay and they are CHEAP! The wires are about 32 gauge and they pull out of the body easily. I don't mind paying if they are bright and tough.

I made these from 18 wheeler LED clearance lights. Get them at trailer supply or truck stop. The mounts are cut from 1" rubber sheet ( pc. on fender lower photo ).
They are adequate. I would not call them overly bright in daylight conditions. They are fine in all other lighting conditions. You will need a solid state flasher relay and diodes at the dash light with LED lights.

... today when I was using my inch-lb to tighten up the 8mm bolts on my oil filter cover, the little sob backed off the calibration nut on the handle without me noticing, and as I was tightening the bolts I was thinking, this doesn't feel right. Its VERY easy to strip those oily little filter cover bolts...

I decided a LONG time ago, I wasn't going to have to rely on torque wrenches to get me through life. I "learned" how various torque ranges "feel" by referencing the torque wrench. I'll still pull one out for doing head bolts or somesuch for peace of mind and which helps maintain my "calibration" but for the thousands of things I've tightened over the years, from 2-56's to 3/4-10's, no issues. Also good is practicing stripping and breaking threads to know what it feels like leading up to it and occurring. Not on something you may have to spend hours repairing, of course, but there's lots of opportunities at landfills and junkyards. You can practice on loose nuts and bolts at home using a good vise mounted to a solid bench.

__________________
Let's ride!!! - No offense, but there've been a lot of people over time who were just as sure, yet got it wrong. - Una necedad, aunque la repitan millones de bocas, no deja de ser una necedad. - "you know that I could have me a million more friends and all I'd have to lose is my point of view" (Prine)

Does somebody know a good, fairly low profile, LED blinker? I ordered some cheap ones from ebay and they are CHEAP! The wires are about 32 gauge and they pull out of the body easily. I don't mind paying if they are bright and tough.

I have a set of WPS blinkers on mine. They have flexible rubber stalks. They seem fairly durable.

Oil starvation because of long wheelies will never be a problem for me. I was born without the balance wheelie gene, and am to big of a wuss to loop out enough times to learn. I can power wheelie just fine, but when the torque curve can't keep up, down she goes.

Steve, I am hoping to have somebody help me with degreeing the damn cam in the next week. If that fails, I'm buying a degree wheel and giving it a go myself. Here's a good article I found:

The po of my bike had just changed the oil with fresh 20-50 when I bought it......I was able to get some good rides on the 20-50.....but it was due for an oil change, so I went ahead and picked up some valvoline 10-40 full syn, and a wix filter, and put them in today......the 10-40 made a huge difference in the power, downright shocking I knew there'd be some diff because its been cold here, and the 20-50 isn't meant for cold weather riding. But I had no clue how big the difference was really going to be. On my high hp street bikes you don't really feel much diff....but on the lower hp dual sports you feel everything.
The bike literally pulled like it was in a gear lower than it really was.
I got on the gas and thought I was still in 4th and I was in 5th. And that was with the 4.6 IMS full, and heading up a slight hill. Thats never happened before on this bike
Between the thinner oil and the powerbomb/cut airbox with some fine tuning, she's really pulling strong now for an xrl at 5000ft up
The more power I'm getting the more I'm wanting tho

The only thing I miss about the 20-50 is that the motor was a little quieter and smoother......but it felt like it was chained to a post before the 10-40. And I did most of my riding in warm weather with the 20-50.....and the difference is still this big.

I just wanted to let you guys know my experience....if you're running 20-50 I'd recommend going down to 10-40, and a full syn at that
Not sure why the po opted to run 20-50 in the poor xrl
I bet a guy would notice even more of a diff if he went to a full syn 10-30....a little light for our bikes I think, but I bet it would raise the fun factor in the engine department even more And you could prolly pull it off in a colder climate for the winter riders

sierra the manual says why and when to use the recomended oil specs and at what temps

its obvious if youre in cold climates and in winter and have summer specd oil that not only are you making the pump work harder but you have a tremendous amount of extra drag on all surfaces because of the COLD.

saying you reccomend a 10-40 on all xrls, and synthetic at that is opening a can o worms!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would not dare use a 10-40 when its 110f degrees down here on the beach for example or normal riding...

think about it...

if your climate does not vary more than 15-20f you can as per the manual use a STRAIGHT grade oil(40w) which has the benefit of lasting longer and performing better because there are no viscosity modifiers in the oil...

remeber this golden rule the bigger difference between "weights" the more modifiers and crap the oil has...it will shear faster...

. Something's not right about yours, then. My front is as good as my back; hasn't let me down yet.
Sounds like time to yank it apart and check the components including valves, springs, and seals along with cleaning out and changing oil.
When flying up over a water bar or similar mound as someone has skillfully managed to photograph WMD doing, you need to pull up the front so you can land on the back wheel first - you don't want to land on your front wheel on any bike.

Well I have had a USD conversion on mine for fiver years and it is awesome. In my experience the stock Ls are not balanced (I have ridden five of them) and the front spring rate is too light compared to the rear. I have ridden them with 10 weight oil, heavier springs, revalving, a fork brace or a combination of those things and they were markedly better. That's just my experience. As for front wheel landings, if the bike is sprung and valved for it, you can do it. The Supercross riders land on the front wheel all the time.

I made these from 18 wheeler LED clearance lights. Get them at trailer supply or truck stop. The mounts are cut from 1" rubber sheet ( pc. on fender lower photo ).
They are adequate. I would not call them overly bright in daylight conditions. They are fine in all other lighting conditions. You will need a solid state flasher relay and diodes at the dash light with LED lights.